This project-driven course will focus on the methods, techniques, and procedures employed in screen printing an edition of prints with multiple layers. Gain fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to confidently explore and experiment within the medium of screen printing, including registration methods and techniques, creating analog and digital color separations and artwork for films, mixing inks, printing effectively, and planning for successful screen prints with all of the above. Each participant will create at least one edition of prints over the course of the class and will have the opportunity to participate in a group print exchange. Participants will also have the option to make simple prints on apparel.

Become proficient on the Vandercook press while creating one collaborative class project and one self-directed project. Acquire technical skills with edition printing, mixing custom ink colors, roller height adjustment, and tympan change. Explore the making of books — sequence and narrative, page layout, image and text interplay, typography, and other considerations that go into producing a small book.

Experience the magic of marbling! Learn the basic process of marbling with acrylics, including recipes for the various components of the process. Make four basic patterns (stones, moire/waved, git-gel, and nonpareil), explore seasonal color palettes, and take home your own marbled papers ready to use for books, gifts or decoration.

MCBA’s two beautiful iron hand presses are examples of an important part of printing history. Hand presses are also extremely versatile tools for artists, still in daily use in studios around the world. Print from metal and wood type as well as woodblocks and half tones, and explore possibilities for monoprints and multicolor block printing. Then design your own piece to print as an edition.Certificate: 14 hours, Category D

Based on early methods of binding manuscript books in about the 4th century, the long stitch binding technique was commonly used for record books of all sorts throughout the middle ages. Here, the long stitch fastens quires to a sturdy leather covering, resulting in a durable structure that is fun to make and a pleasure to use. This book lays flat for ease of use in writing or drawing, and has a closure secured by a leather tab incorporated in the long stitch on the spine.Certificate: 8 hours, Category D

From the first page to the last, there are a plethora of decisions to be made when designing a book. How will you draw the viewer into your story? Whether visual or typographic, this will be your challenge. This class will introduce you to design basics and explore the principles and elements of art. In addition, we’ll explore content, typography, sequence, color, size, and materials. Each participant will design a book or portfolio from concept to completion. Come to class with your ideas!Certificate: 15 hours, Category A; fulfills Core design requirement

If you aren't already trained to use our paper beaters, here is your opportunity! Through hands-on training you will learn the capabilities of each piece of MCBA's paper beaters, and how to use them correctly and safely. Completion of this training will allow you to rent this equipment and use it independently.

Learn or renew your skills in observational drawing and discuss methods of translating your drawings into prints! This workshop is great for printmakers of all levels who are interested in incorporating drawings into their prints. Explore a variety of drawing techniques and materials through a series of guided exercises. Instruction will include demonstrations in drawing techniques as well as individualized feedback on in-progress drawings. A variety of examples of drawings in prints will be shown and discussed.

Learn basic materials, tools, and skills involved in the bookbinding process while exploring simple folded and sewn bindings. Experiment with a variety of materials to create soft-cover blank books.

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

Paste paper was invented by bookbinders in an effort to find an affordable method for embellishing bindings in-house. Play with color and pattern while creating decorative papers using paste, acrylic paints and several unique tools.

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

Relief block printing is fun and easy. Learn how to carve your very own two-color design. Once carving is finished, explore a variety of ways to hand-print your blocks. Please bring a black and white 4 x 6 inch drawing to class (colors can be changed during the printing process).

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

The Coptic binding was developed during the second to third century in Egypt, adapted from the technique of interlacing threads in carpet making, creating a chain or link stitch to bind the sections together. Learn the classic two-needle Coptic stitch and bind a small journal with vibrant hardwood covers that opens flat for ease in use. Use hardwood covers from Africa and South America in a rainbow of colors: canarywood, rosewood, bloodwood, and purpleheart. All of the wood is used as it naturally occurs; no coloring or dyes are used.Certificate: 8 hours, Category A

If you aren't already trained to use our cutting equipment, here is your opportunity! Through hands-on training you will learn the capabilities of each piece of MCBA's bindery cutting equipment, and how to use them correctly and safely. Completion of this training will allow you to rent this equipment and use it independently.

Jump start your letterpress printing with this weekend intensive! This workshop is perfect for those who want to try letterpress but don’t have time for the six-week course or for rusty letterpress printers in need of a refresher. Learn the fundamentals of paper, ink and design. Then hand set type, carve a simple linoleum cut, and print a small edition of broadside prints on MCBA’s Vandercook presses.

Learn a new way to reuse and recycle with this class that will cover the basics of papermaking and focus on how to make paper out of old clothing items you no longer wear. Students will learn fiber preparation, basic use of a Valley Beater, sheet formation and pressing and drying techniques. This weekend workshop will encourage students to practice their sheet forming to make a small collection of beautifully formed, even sheets that will be perfect for writing and other art techniques once they dry.

Painting with Water!
with Ellen Ferrari
Saturday, April 21; 10am-12pm noon
For families with children ages 2 and up

Be amazed by Magic Paint Day by Shaheen Bilgrami and then amaze yourself by painting ON WATER! Learn the art of marbling using specially prepared water, paint and paper. Create lots of colorful patterns using everyday tools like forks, straws and toothpicks. Begin projects here to finish when your marbled paper dries.

Join Ellen Ferrari for Saturday and Sunday mornings of family book arts fun! Each workshop starts off with a story and game to warm up your creativity and then dives into book arts projects. Workshops accommodate a range of developmental levels so that adults and children (or) adult/child teams may choose to work together or side-by-side. Each participant receives supplies to use during the workshop, but may choose to bring one set home if working with his or her partner. Ellen will provide older children with suggestions for extending their learning.

Experience the magic of marbling! Learn the basic process of marbling with acrylics, including recipes for the various components of the process. Make four basic patterns (stones, moire/waved, git-gel, and nonpareil), explore seasonal color palettes, and take home your own marbled papers ready to use for books, gifts or decoration.

This class will focus on several advanced methods used in bookbinding. Sew a blank book on linen tapes with a rounded back. We will use constructed marbled endsheets and make two colored endbands and finish the binding with a full cloth cover.

Most of the capital letters we use today have a common ancestry – the carved monumental letters found in ancient Rome. We will study the classic proportions with a monoline tool, and then see how that transfers to using a broad-edged pen to letter foundational and italic caps.

Focus on building marbling technique by creating patterns. Learn patterns that require manipulating the comb in a figure-eight shape as well as patterns created through use of a bouquet comb. Participants are encouraged to practice “pulling” patterns with guidance from a seasoned practitioner. Developing your own patterns will also be discussed. Take home marbled paper samples as well as a handout.
This workshop builds on techniques learned in Introduction to Marbling and Marbling: Patterns I.

Turn digital files, line drawings and more into polymer! Learn the use and operation of MCBA’s polymer platemaker, analog and digital negatives creation, options for digital file preparations, and use of plates on the Vandercook press.

Also known as a drop spine box, the clamshell box is the basic all-purpose box to preserve and store valuable books, photographs and other works on paper. Make a single wall drop spine box using precut materials, and learn measuring and cutting techniques to continue making boxes on your own, custom made to fit your own books or objects.

If you aren't already trained to use our paper beaters, here is your opportunity! Through hands-on training you will learn the capabilities of each piece of MCBA's paper beaters, and how to use them correctly and safely. Completion of this training will allow you to rent this equipment and use it independently.

Learn the basics of screen printing while creating your own unique print on a t-shirt and paper! Please bring your ideas and sketches to class (maximum 8 inches wide).

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

Embrace collaboration and whimsy to create a poster using wood type from MCBA’s collection. Starting with a round of the surrealist parlor game exquisite corpse, the group will choose the best collaged phrases to set in type and print on the Vandercook press. Layering color and text will produce a playful and unique poster that exists at the intersection of visual and literary art.

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

Bring spring into your home or artwork with origami flowers! Paper flowers are intriguing and beautiful. Learn a variety of flowers models from flat to three-dimensional, traditional to modular.

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

If you aren't already trained to use our cutting equipment, here is your opportunity! Through hands-on training you will learn the capabilities of each piece of MCBA's bindery cutting equipment, and how to use them correctly and safely. Completion of this training will allow you to rent this equipment and use it independently.

Explore paper marbling – try your hand at “throwing” color and building patterns that you can use to decorate cards, journals or other papercrafts.

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

Dirty Works: Papercutting in Full Color
with Marnie Karger and Curt Lund
Friday, June 1; happy half-hour 5:30–6pm; class 6–8pm
Great for beginners

Explore papercutting as a way to create imagery. Make and take a batch of unique cards with hand-cut designs and multi-colored layers, using any kind of imagery you can dream up. Then learn a simple binding technique to convert cards into little pocket journals.

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

Gelli Plate printing is a playful approach to printmaking. This direct printing technique uses a gelatin substrate for printing by hand; no presses! Create beautifully textured images using acrylic paint and stencils. So much fun, it’s addictive.

Join MCBA for Dirty Works, a series of casual classes, taking place on the first Friday of each month. Activities are designed for the bookishly curious and the creatively apprehensive; no experience needed.

MCBA believes that access to the arts and art education should be available to all individuals. We strive to make our facilities and programs accessible and enjoyable for all, and we are happy to provide special accommodations upon request.

Thank You

MCBA’s educational and artistic programming is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Additional support is provided by Target, Wet Paint, other private funders, MCBA members and individuals like you.